“Jaksa/Roder” Manual and BRD
 

I would make the assumption that most everyone knows at least what the J/R and BRD are but I've always wonder how many people own them. Lately I've seen to encounter a lot of situations where one or both would be helpful. So I'm thinking about getting a set for myself. Can't have too much in your officiating library, right?

I come to find out that J/R have multiple books! Does anyone own the "More Than 100 Problems With the Official Baseball Rules" or "The Jaksa/Roder Baseball Rules Course" and would recommend them as well?

Thanks

-Josh

I've thought about getting J/R...it's probably a bit better formatted than the BRD...while I like the content of the BRD, sometimes it's tough to read because there doesn't appear to be consistent fonts throughout. For all of the resources I currently have, I'm going to wait for Evans new book to come out and see what that one would cost. That's the one I want...not that the J/R manual is bad by any means...but if I had a choice, which right now we don't...I suppose J/R is not a bad option other than the fact that they're not official interps...but it can certainly help most umpires improve by understanding the rules.

Buy them both. You will not regret it. If you are serious about your umpiring then get Jaksa/Roder and BRD. If you think you need the more intensive course or if you are having particular trouble with the rules of baseball get the Jaksa/Roder rules course. I found BRD (I have had 3 so far) and Jaksa/Roder along with the rule books for NCAA, FED and OBR sufficient study for me (along with an average of 230 games per year over the past 4 years) to accurately and effectively apply the rules in the games I work.


By the way, the differing fonts in BRD are to show where the authority comes from for the advice/ruling contained in each section along with the differing levels of rules compared in that tome.

I understand the differnet fonts/authorties. I just need more work out of that book to get used to the format. It's a great tool, no doubt. I certainly do not regret making the purchase.

I have both, but they are both seriously out of date. The J/R is from the early 1990s, and the BRD is a hand-me-down from Rich Ives, and is the 2005 version.

Do they update them periodically? I know the BRD they do but does J/R?

-Josh

J/R updated in 07 or 08, which is the version I got...

I would purchase BRD before J/R though

The J/R I have is woefully inaccurate. I will have to break down and buy a new one for next season.

I find more useful Baseball Rules for Idiots, by T. McCarver and J. Morgan.

lol!!!

I know what both publications are, but I'm not going to pay for either one of them unless they were up to date and of a better price range.

My J/R is 2008 edition. I buy an update about every 4 years. My BRD is 2008 edition. I buy an update about every 2 years. I also have a Study Guide: College Baseball Rules from 2005. If serious about getting to know rules better, and work games with different rule sets, you need both J/R and BRD.

The BRD is $29 and J/R is $39 from Gerry Davis. Those are pretty fairly priced considering their content. I have one book at work that is about Data Warehousing by Ralph Kimball which runs about $60. That sounds like a lot of money for a book until you realize that Ralpha Kimball is considered a leading expert in the field of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing.

Let's not even talk about some of the text books I purchased while in college that I used for just a quarter. The BRD seems downright cheap in comparison.

I didn't know about the BRD, JR Manual, PBUC, etc until I started posting on the various forums. Once I bought and read some of them, I don't know how I umpired without them.

Don't forget that the purchase of those books is tax deductible, which for some of us is like a 15% discount. ;)

Add another $10 to ship the book...so it really is a $40 book

Which is ludicrous considering a book can be shipped for 2-3 bucks using Media Mail.

OK...doesn't changed things much IMO. Order some other things to make the shipping worth the while. :D

So you work 1, maybe 2, at most 3 games and it pays for the costs of the books. Big deal. If this is your full time job and your feeding your family with the bucks, I MIGHT understand. (Then again why wouldn't you want to get better and make bigger bucks)

Is your intent to become the best official you can, or just skirt at mediocracy level and collect the bucks? Personnally I always strived for being the best and after some 20+ years at this , I am still learning every day.

I just have difficulty in understanding why some don't want to improve at whatever they do.

Now as for playing golf. I sucked when I started and still suck everytime I play. I always try harder butttttt, I just suck.

We're good at umpiring and always getting better; we suck at golf. This is the way I look at it: Umpiring needs us; golf does not need us.

They cringe when the see me!!! But, hell I still have fun.

The thing I say most on the golf course: "You guys go ahead."

Own no, mooch yes....

Hate to bring up an old thread....I'm looking to finally getting around to purchasing a copy of the "Baseball Rule Differences by Carl Childress", but I can't seem to find it online anymore. Any suggestions on where to find it? Is this years not out yet? I'm a little confused

-Josh

Josh,

About a week or so ago, Carl put up a notice on the Officiating.com home page saying he will not be publishing a 2010 edition and the 2009 edition is sold out. The notice is no longer there, so maybe he changed his mind.

When the BRD does become available, you should be able to find it at this link:

Officiating.com : Shop

JM

Thanks JM. I was asked by my association to lead a rules meeting this year. I was going over the chapters I am suppose to cover and thought to myself, "it would be nice to have some additionally references (IE J/R or BRD)" I need to buy them so I went to order them and I couldn't find the BRD :(

-Josh

I have MLBUM (I think) and PBUC, also have the CCA for mechanics purposes. May buy the J/R, although I could use a friend's copy anytime I needed it.

I have the JEA, J/R, PBUC Blue Book, MLBUM, BRD, Evans' mechanic tome, PBUC Red Book, CCA. I use the JEA, Evans' mechanics, PBUC Blue, MLBUM.

I think we amateurs stress too much. Minor League umpires use the OBR and PBUC and seem to do okay.

Because many times there's little value in it. I daresay that when it comes to recreational activities, I couldn't care less if I improve. I do some things just for fun, and in trying to get better, it becomes work.

As for golf, I don't play. I have enough frustrations in my life without paying for more.

It's called pride in yourself, that's why you should want to be the best you can be

-Josh

I purchased the 2008 ed of J/R along with the 100 Problems. Rick e-mailed me that the 2010 edition of J/R would be available this spring. I got the course too, but it is long out of date (2002). Because the course was so dated Rick let me have it for $10.00. It still has value.

BRD is not publishing a 2010 edition.

The 2010 is now available, fyi. I got it earlier in the week and have enjoyed it. Good reference book, well worth the money

-Josh